JD Vance dubbed a ‘hypocrite’ after college drag photos surface

Images of U.S. Senator JD Vance dressed in women’s clothes have surfaced again, sparking a lot of criticism and claims of being two-faced.

These photos, believed to be from his days at Yale Law School in 2012 when Vance was 28, show him in a blonde wig, a shirt, and a skirt.

The issue started when Matt Bernstein, a user on X (once known as Twitter), shared one of these pictures saying: “new: I have obtained a photo of jd vance in drag while at yale law school.”

The picture came from Travis Whitfill, an assistant professor at Yale. Whitfill admitted he was the source, noting: “Hi Matt, I was the source of the photo (sent through friends to you). This was taken in 2012 (the same time I was at Yale 🥴). Photo was taken by a classmate and sent to me. Thanks for sharing 😘.”

new: i have obtained a photo of jd vance in drag while at yale law school pic.twitter.com/jYf14Lwa4D

— matt (@mattxiv) August 11, 2024

In a talk with the Daily Beast, Whitfill said the photo came from a group chat among Vance’s classmates and was likely first shared on Facebook. It was snapped at a Halloween party.

A few days later, Bernstein posted another picture, stating, “a second photo has hit my inbox.”

As these images spread, many made fun of them online. One person joked, “Feelin’ cute. Might run for Vice President later,” while another commented, “What better way to get on Trump’s good side than by trying to look like his Ivanka….”

However, some defended Vance, arguing the photos were being twisted.

a second photo has hit my inbox https://t.co/JRKIE9JHRD pic.twitter.com/4wIWF28mEU

— matt (@mattxiv) August 12, 2024

One user argued: “People consider putting on a wig at a college party as drag? That’s an insult to my drag friends at the balls and in the Houses.”

Another stated: “I can’t tell which possibility is worse: you all not being able to distinguish a party costume from actual drag because you think it’s totally normal for men to dress like women OR you all knowing it’s a costume and being absurdly intellectually dishonest about it.”

George Santos, who faced similar issues in 2023 with his own drag photos, stood up for Vance, claiming it “definitely” wasn’t drag.

“The guy went to a costume party, put on a freaking cheap wig from Party City or something similar,” Santos explained. “To call that drag is disingenuous, and I think most dudes at some point in their lives have played around with costumes that are gender-bender.”

Critics of Vance, however, pointed out that their concern was not the act of dressing in drag, but Vance’s apparent hypocrisy. “Don’t call JD Vance weird because he wore drag. Call him a hypocrite and a bigot for demonizing others who wear drag,” one person wrote on X.

Another shared this view, tweeting: “I don’t share this to shame those who do drag, but rather to shame those who attack drag while having a history of enjoying the art form themselves.”

What do you think of these resurfaced photos? Let us know your thoughts!